For today’s post we travel back through the archives to December 2009 on a quick trip I made to Boston.  This image features a few buildings…one of which is among my favorites in the Financial District.  Exchange Place is a glassy structure that rises out of the 12-story Boston Stock Exchange, a classic Boston piece of architecture originally constructed in 1896 and redeveloped in 1985 to feature the glass tower.  What I like about the building (and I’m sure others hate), is the fact that the original structure is still standing and compliments the new addition, bringing a nice blend of the modern and the historic character of the area. I love the way the structure captures the light around it and reflects neighboring buildings.

One of the most recent additions to the Boston skyline was the Leonard P. Zakim | Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge (named after civil rights activist Lenny Zakim), which is the widest cable stay bridge in the world.  The bridge has two prominent towers that the cable stays protrude from, which were meant to mimic the Bunker Hill Memorial nearby.  The opening of this bridge was symbolic as the infamous Big Dig project neared completion and Boston roadways were changed for what is likely to be centuries to come.  I love the modern and distinctive feel of the structure, and think it’s cool that it has become synonymous with Boston and the recent blockbuster movies that have featured it (The Departed, The Town….and the fact that any Boston interview on a news station seems to be broadcast in front of it).

In any event, I was lucky to have a ride to the airport so I could snap this shot through the sunroof on the way to my first Christmas in Florida.  More to follow on that later in the week…hope you enjoy this architectural gem.

Digging further through the archives this week, I’ve finally had the time to process a few shots taken with the Carl Zeiss 18mm lens that I rented a few months back during the Worldwide Photo Walk, which I participated in.  The walk meandered through the Seaport District of Boston – and I had some shots that I was really excited about processing, but for one reason or another – I never made it to seeing what the finished product might look like with a few of the exposures.  Part of the problem was that each image looked so good (when I actually came up with a decent composition) thanks in large part to the high quality Zeiss lens, which seems to capture the colors straight from my brain.  This is both a blessing and a challenge for HDR processing, as any combination of multiple exposures with wonderfully represented/saturated colors in each exposure, tends to create an extreme look when I use my typical steps in post-processing.  I think once I get the hang of it, the exposures or “brackets” from each set will provide some incredible color and spatial data…than when combined will create a gorgeous shot, similar to what I’ve found with my Zeiss 100mm Hasselblad shots.  Hope you enjoy

Also – Please take a moment sometime during your day today to reflect and remember the Veterans that have served our country and protected the freedoms that we are so lucky to have here in America.  It definitely wouldn’t be the same place without the sacrifices that so many have made on our behalf.

Here’s a shot back from this summer’s adventures in Boston, with 5 bracketed exposures that were taken during the Worldwide Photowalk held in Boston’s Seaport District, which was led by none other than the talented Brian Matiash.  This building was pretty interesting, with a gorgeous and unique overhang and a relatively quiet afternoon with few people strolling about.  I always enjoy hanging around new places that intrigue me, and I loved the colors of the building (the Institute of Contemporary Art building on the waterfront)…which is appropriately coolly designed for its contents.

Photography is always a fun challenge because it forces you to select what moment you want to capture, and/or what you want to include in your frame.  Sometimes movement and composition come together in a shot, but this time it was more the static lines of the stair case and the exterior lines of the building that made for a nice dynamic set against a summer blue sky.

It’s not everyday that someone gets to attend a baseball game between the rival Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees in the historic Fenway Park.  I was lucky enough to catch a game this year, and the weather was perfect….nice and warm during the afternoon portion of the game that started at 4, cooling off and feeling like a perfect fall night once the lights came on.  I always love visiting Fenway, and enjoyed sitting out in the bleachers for a change.  Hopefully next October we’ll have a healthy roster and will be looking forward to the opening series of the playoffs.

This year I took part in two sessions of the 3rd Annual Scott Kelby Photowalk.  In the morning I made a quick appearance at the local Portsmouth walk led by Ron Risman…before heading down to Boston to meet with some sharp photographer fellows (Brian Matiash, Pat O’Brien, Scott Wyden Kivowitz and Andrew Yaniuk) for a quick tour of the Sam Adams Brewery before the evening photowalk in Boston.  I have a few hundred images to wade through, but had a great day of New England shooting….in the meantime, here’s a few shots that I got to sooner than later.  More to follow through the rest of the week.  I enjoyed meeting the group and it was awesome to put a face to so many names…looking forward to everyone’s shots!

The shot above was taken near the World Trade Center Boston in the Seaport district.  The next shot was taken with one of my latest rentals…a Carl Zeiss 18mm manual focus lens.  So far I’ve found that it’s incredibly sharp and has beautiful color directly out of the camera.

The last shot is one of the Boston group led by Brian Matiash…we had a great time wandering the streets and shooting, and thankfully the skies stayed clear through the early evening (click the image to see it large!).

Today features two of the most recognizable skylines in the United States.  Above you can see the Prudential Building and the Hancock Tower with the Charles River in the foreground.

Below, you can see a beautiful sunset on the facades of the Upper East Side overlooking Central Park in Manhattan.  Two beautiful cities with incredibly rich history, both overlooking beautiful natural settings. Happy Summer to everyone!